Do you like Neil Young?

[Skywatcher]

I like him as one-fourth of CSNY but “meh” regarding his solo work.

[Malthus]

One of the greats, in my opinion.

[drad_dog]

@Skywatcher

I like him as one-fourth of CSNY but “meh” regarding his solo work.

Even CSN (and Y) have kind of admitted that solo Neil has outshone and outperformed them by any measure over the years.

Cortez the Killer
Ambulance Blues
Will to Love
Flying on the ground is wrong
Tired Eyes
I am a Child
A Man Needs a Maid
When you dance I can really love
Powderfinger
…

In the singer songwriter area, it could be argued that no one could ever compete with this.

[Happy_Lendervedder]

I am in a very small minority around here apparently, but I can’t stand him. His songs, his voice, his muttonchops.

[drad_dog]

@Mangosteen

*“Don’t Let It Bring You Down”

Old man lying
by the side of the road
With the lorries rolling by,
Blue moon sinking
from the weight of the load
And the buildings scrape the sky,
Cold wind ripping
down the alley at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying
by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes.

Don’t let it bring you down
It’s only castles burning,
Find someone who’s turning
And you will come around.

Blind man running
through the light
of the night
With an answer in his hand,
Come on down
to the river of sight
And you can really understand,
Red lights flashing
through the window
in the rain,
Can you hear the sirens moan?
White cane lying
in a gutter in the lane,
If you’re walking home alone.*

What’s not to like?

Neil used to introduce this song by saying “Here’s a song that’s guaranteed to bring you right down. It’s called…”

[Voyager]

@bobot

When the file sharing stuff was newish on the internet, I remember seeing A Horse With No Name credited to Neil. I thought, there is no way that Neil Young covered that song. I downloaded it and it was the standard America song- no cover, not Neil.

When that song first came out, I heard one DJ say it was trying to be more Neil Young than Neil Young.

[bobot]

I’d like to hear Kermit The Frog sing it:
On the first part of the journey, Hay-oooh!

[MrDibble]

@WordMan

**Mark Kozelek ** definitely to my ear: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AKRA7weVyLs

That’s his band Sun Kil Moon, whom I love

Also of the late lamented* Red House Painters*.

[DinoR]

@Magiver

I find musical taste an interesting topic. I actually feel just the opposite of Neal Young. He has a very distinctive voice (IMO).

Just to be clearer, I agree his voice is distinctive. I don’t particularly like it enough to help his music stand out positively. It then quickly gets filtered into my ignored background noise. That’s how his music isn’t distinctive for me. I can distinguish it if I stop and concentrate on it. I have to actually stop and force myself to though.

Taste is an odd thing.

[drad_dog]

I hear Beethoven couldn’t sing for shit and he never played electric (!?)

I never needed that ninth symphony anyway.

[Common_Tater]

Neil Young is an acquired taste, no question about it. He has written a LOT of songs, and not all of them are gems but most people should be able to find a few that are likeable. His guitar playing isn’t known for being especially technical or anything like that but it’s difficult to emulate his style and sound convincing. His early catalog is good for beginners in that they are mostly cowboy chords but the student quickly learns Neil is all about tone and phrasing. When someone says a song is “easy” they usually do a pretty poor job of it. His voice is not for everyone, but then he’s sort of like Bob Dylan in that regard.

[Ukulele_Ike]

Love him. Love the guitar, love the voice…for me, the “distinctive voices” are where it’s at. Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Levon Helm.

“Listenin’ to Neil Young
Got to turn up the sound.
Everybody’s always sayin’
Turn him down.”

– Bob Dylan, “Highlands”

[Typo_Negative]

Not a fan. He has written some good songs, but kinda few and far between for me.

[silenus]

Neil is on the short list of “If you could only listen to one artist for the rest of your life” for me.

[JKellyMap]

@DinoR

Not really.

His genre isn’t one I particularly like and his voice doesn’t help him stand out. Mostly he’s in the easily ignored elevator music category for me.

Which genre would that be? Seriously, listen to Trans – Kraftwerk-meets-Laurie-Anderson electronica! Even his more popular stuff is evenly apportioned among garage-band heavy rock and acoustic folk pop.

[drad_dog]

@Common_Tater

Neil Young is an acquired taste, no question about it. He has written a LOT of songs, and not all of them are gems but most people should be able to find a few that are likeable. His guitar playing isn’t known for being especially technical or anything like that but it’s difficult to emulate his style and sound convincing. His early catalog is good for beginners in that they are mostly cowboy chords but the student quickly learns Neil is all about tone and phrasing. When someone says a song is “easy” they usually do a pretty poor job of it. His voice is not for everyone, but then he’s sort of like Bob Dylan in that regard.

Can’t see how that. I never meet anyone who doesn’t love Neil.

Within the field of “rock” it can’t get any better without a cite.

[GuanoLad]

@Leaffan

A lot of people thought so.

Exactly so, I think that’s what I was getting mixed up with. I also thought of “Our House”, but that is actually him. I think.

[Common_Tater]

@drad_dog

Can’t see how that. I never meet anyone who doesn’t love Neil.

Within the field of “rock” it can’t get any better without a cite.

Can’t see how, what?

[JKellyMap]

@GuanoLad

Exactly so, I think that’s what I was getting mixed up with. I also thought of “Our House”, but that is actually him. I think.

Mainly Graham Nash, but Neil plays on it.

Unless you mean the Madness song

[Guest-starring_Id]

In our household in the early 70’s it was all Beatles, Zep, and After the Gold Rush and Harvest.
I think I might have to pit anyone who somehow likes Trans, though.